General intelligence correlates significantly with specific traits in the Big Five personality model
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
4 sources for · 0 against
Comprehensive meta-analytic research demonstrates that general intelligence correlates significantly with specific Big Five personality traits, most notably Openness to Experience and Neuroticism.
The correlations between the measures of cognitive abilities and personality traits are known to be low. Our data based on the popular Big Five model of intelligence show that the highest correlations (up to r = 0.30) tend to occur with the Openness to Experience. Some recent developments in the studies of intelligence (e.g., emotional intelligence, complex problem solving and economic games) indicate that this link may become stronger in future. Furthermore, our studies of the processes in the “no-man’s-land” between intelligence and personality suggest that the non-cognitive constructs are correlated with both. These include the measures of social conservatism and self-beliefs. Importantly, the Big Five measures do not tap into either the dark traits associated with social conservatism or self-beliefs that are known to be good predictors of academic achievement. This paper argues that the personality domain should be broadened to include new constructs that have not been captured by the lexical approach employed in the development of the Big Five model. Furthermore, since the measures of confidence have the highest correlation with cognitive performance, we suggest that the trait of confidence may be a driver that leads to the separation of fluid and crystallized intelligence during development.
This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the associations of personality and intelligence. It presents a meta-analysis (N = 162,636, k = 272) of domain, facet, and item-level correlations between personality and intelligence (general, fluid, and crystallized) for the major Big Five and HEXACO hierarchical frameworks of personality: NEO PI-R, Big Five Aspect Scales (BFAS), BFI-2, and HEXACO PI R. It provides the first meta-analysis of personality and intelligence to comprehensively examine (a) facet-level correlations for these hierarchical frameworks of personality, (b) item-level correlations, (c) domain- and facet-level predictive models. Age and sex differences in personality and intelligence, and study-level moderators, are also examined. The study was complemented by four of our own unpublished datasets (N = 26,813) which were used to assess the ability of item-level models to provide generalizable prediction. Results showed that openness (ρ = .20) and neuroticism (ρ = -.09) were the strongest Big Five correlates of intelligence and that openness correlated more with crystallized than fluid intelligence. At the facet-level, traits related to intellectual engagement and unconventionality were more strongly related to intelligence than other openness facets, and sociability and orderliness were negatively correlated with intelligence. Facets of gregariousness and excitement seeking had stronger negative correlations, and openness to aesthetics, feelings, and value
The relationship between need for cognition (NFC) and measures of both personality and intelligence was investigated. Study 1 (N = 195) addressed recent concerns over item-polarity effects in NFC scales. With these effects removed, a reworded 34-item NFC scale showed evidence of multidimensionality. Study 2 (N = 93) investigated NFC and the Big Five personality traits as well as correlates of general intelligence. The regression model accounted for 24% of the variance in intelligence scores. Results showed that NFC mediated the relationship between Openness to Experience and intelligence, and suggested that NFC might similarly mediate the relationship between Neuroticism and intelligence. Results from the two studies suggest possible benefits of conceptualizing NFC as a motivation for cognitive challenge. Limitations are considered.
mental influences on general intelligence and the “big five” personality traits that may be … P. (1990). The “Big Five” factor taxonomy: Dimensions of personality in the natural language … professionals in the behavioral and health sciences who have a serious interest in the study of
Everything we examined (5) — 4 independent sources
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.